A truth that is proven and reinforced year after year by the resiliency of our producers, is that farmers in Saskatchewan will always find a way through it all.
A truth that is proven and reinforced year after year by the resiliency of our producers, is that farmers in Saskatchewan will always find a way through it all.
There have been tough times in recent years for all types of producers; last year it took the form of rain water that saturated the land and caused delays and problems to every industry and business enterprise. For grain producers, it resulted in 10 million acres left unseeded, an unprecedented effect; in the livestock industry, cattle producers and hog producers both had to endure low commodity prices, but finally there are signs of some recovery there.
Now, as the land is about to be freed from winter, it will soon have the signs of spring begin to appear, and a new growing season will get underway.
Will excess water continue to be a problem? That seems possible with a rather large snowpack about to melt - but eventually the water will flow away and seeding will take place, and the new season will then take its course.
The forecast for the grain industry is for fairly strong prices, depending in part on how production occurs in competing countries along with the corresponding demand from countries which are our traditional customers.
Part of the secret of how Saskatchewan has done so well through the years is that producers here are innovative and resilient, and farming for them is a way of life; it's a major part of life of many Saskatchewan residents in some way.
With this in mind, producers are constantly looking for ways to upgrade their knowledge, to improve how they farm and be more efficient, and to add value to what they produce. Thus we see such ventures in the Weyburn region as Border Line Feeders, owned and operated by area livestock producers; Big Sky Farms hog operation at Ogema; and the farmer-owned Weyburn Inland Terminal, which has the ethanol plant as one of its ventures.
As long as producers look forward and look for ways to be better, the agricultural industry will continue to thrive and bring life to the land.
